Yahweh is a deity within the religion of Militarism. He is the fictional War Lord deity invented by Hebrew War Lords. Yahweh sanctifies Old Testament rulers who dominate over the people. Yahweh cannot be compared to the historical peacemaker Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospel. Attempts to connect the two, however, are sometimes made. One attempt is made by claiming Jesus was referring to the fictional Yahweh when he called God Father.
In the Gospel according to Mark, the first Gospel written, Jesus refers to God as “Abba.” The references do not match the War Lord personality of the ancient Yahweh deity. Also, Abba does not mean Father. Abba means a relationship that is loving, sweet, gentle, as with a father or with a mother. In the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus uses Abba 10 times, mistranslated as Father. Again, Abba is used in a way that contradicts and even rejects the old War Lord deity. One example is, “Abba is pleased to give you the Community of God.” Jesus’ Community of God is the replacement for Yahweh’s kingdom of David (13:32). Luke also has Jesus refer to God twice as a woman, which is not comparable to the War Lord Yahweh image. Matthew, writing to a Jewish audience, uses the title “Abba,” more often. The vast majority of the time it references a “heavenly” being challenging the earthly patriarchal system. John, written last, some 60 to 80 years after Jesus’ death, uses the “Abba” title most frequently. It is used in this Sunday’s Gospel. John also uses other metaphors. For example, Creator and birthing metaphors (3:3-8). John’s use of “Abba,” again mistranslated as Father, confirms a relationship of love, sweetness, and gentleness, as between fathers and children. Which is, again, not compatible with the image of the War Lord Yahweh. Biblical fundamentalists emphasize John’s use of father without the accurate translation to “Abba” nor its accurate meaning. More so, Biblical fundamentalists emphasize the Old Testament and Paul, thus ignoring “Abba” of Jesus entirely in favor of Yahweh the War Lord. Also ignoring the truth that Jesus rejected the patriarchy. A fictional War Lord and fictional misinterpretations of Abba as Father, enables self-title Christians to worship Yahweh while they call themselves Christian. As the Old Testaments Yahweh and Paul rule over mistranslations of Jesus’ Gospel, so too fundamentalists rule over institutional Christianity, likewise its men rule over its women.
The misinterpretation of ‘Abba” Father provides insight into a non-Christian religion of Biblical fundamentalism whose members reject a relationship with Jesus and their brothers and sisters based on love, sweetness, and gentleness.
Prayer: Spirit of Abba, may we be loving, sweet, and gentle.
Question: What images of the Mystery called God speak to me?
May 28, 2017 Gospel John 17:1-11a 7th Sunday of Easter